Sciatica – The Facts And The Myths
We have had a number of people see us
recently with what they have been told is SCIATICA.
For example, Joan came in after seeing
her doctor who had diagnosed her with sciatica. She had been given some pain relief
and advised to see a physiotherapist. Bar the pain she was suffering from, main
thing that Joan complained about was not being able to do her work and more
importantly she was unable to look after her grandchildren, which she did part
time to help her daughter.
Joan wasn’t quite sure exactly what
sciatica was and what it really meant for her. She was worried that she had a
lot of responsibility to look after her grandchildren, and felt she was going
to put a lot of stress on her daughter because she was unable to look after her
grandchildren.
Now, today, we are going to help you
understand what sciatica is and what it means to you, by giving you some facts
and myths!
Facts
1.
Sciatica is a symptom of
an underlying medical condition. The term describes the pain, tingling,
numbness, or weakness that starts in the lower back and moves to the large
sciatic nerve located in either leg.
2.
For adults under 60, the most common causes of
sciatica are a lumbar herniated disc, and degenerative disc disease. For adults
over 60, degenerative changes in the spine like lumbar spinal stenosis and
degenerative spondylolisthesis are the typical culprits.
Pregnancy,
scar tissue, muscle strains, and bone fractures can also give rise to
sciatica-like symptoms.
3.
Sciatica pain usually will go
away with time, rest, and the proper treatment. Most people suffering from
sciatica will get better without surgery.
4.
Successful treatment for
sciatica should include manual therapy and exercise.
Myths
1.
Sciatica is very
difficult to cure, since once the lower back is injured, it never heals.
2.
The lower back is
delicate and is highly susceptible to injury.
3.
Sciatica will
just go away with some rest.
4.
My back will
always be weak.
5.
Sciatica requires
surgery.
My advice for anyone who suffers with
sciatica or for those people who know someone who is suffering with sciatica,
is to make a great decision and see a health professional who can certainly
help you get back to doing those things you love doing, just like Joan.
If you would like to learn about how
physiotherapy can help you with sciatica, please feel free to contact the
clinic on 028 9266 6959.
You can also download our FREE Back
Pain Report here,
www.gavnoble.com/back-pain